John 18:22,23 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

One of the officers—struck Jesus— As the word ραπισμα is supposed by many etymologists to be derived from ραβδος, a staff, or stick, Beza would therefore render the passage, he smote Jesus with a staff. But the word is apparently used for any blow, and would most literally be rendered, gave Jesus a blow; though from Matthew 5:39 one would be apt to interpret it in the sense which our translators have given it. Suidas also explains it in the same sense. The meaning of John 18:23 considered as our Lord's immediate reply to the officer who struck him, is sufficiently manifest. Mr. Bonnell, however, and some other expositors, suppose that the original conveys the following more extensive sense: "If thou hast been one of my hearers, and canst say that I at any time have spoken evil, either of God or man, in the course of my preaching, thou wilt do well to bear thy testimony concerning that evil, and give it in evidence to the court; but if I have spoken well, can reason be answered by blows? or can such a sober appeal to it deserve them?" Thus our Lord became an example of his own precept, Matthew 5:44 bearing the greatest injuries with a patience which could not be provoked.